Leverage is... The basic definition of "Leverage"is the mechanical advantage available from using a "lever"this idea has been expanded to apply to other types of advantage such as money, finance and even positional advantage. The Classic Example of Leverage... As a child I would often go to the playground and play on the "See-Saw" aka. "Teeter-Totter" it was a board fixed in the middle that allowed two kids (one on each end) to ride up and down based on their weights being equally balanced. The device didn't work all that great if one kid was considerably larger than the other one. The heavier kid would crash to the ground while the lighter kid would be launched into the air. This … [Read more...]
US Savings Bonds Are Still A Safe Investment
With interest rates still at record lows, many people are looking for alternatives to savings accounts. US Savings Bonds are a safe and smart investment choice. No other investment carries the full weight of the U.S. government. The U.S. Treasury Department guarantees investors will receive their full principle plus interest. Consider why purchasing savings bonds is an investment that can be made with confidence. US Savings Bonds: Conservative, but Smart Although savings bonds do not yield as much return as higher-risk investments, investors can rest easy knowing they will not loose their money. The financial downturn of the last few years has resulted in many Americans loosing large … [Read more...]
Gold and the Federal Reserve
Gold-US Dollar Link by Chris Vermeulen The $1800 per ounce level continues to be a major technical resistance area for gold. After hovering near $1800 recently, gold moved sharply away from that level last week to close at $1735 an ounce. Despite that, more fund managers and analysts continue to point to a bright long-term future for gold prices. John Hathaway of the Tocqueville Gold Fund says gold will reach new highs within a year. He based his forecast, like many others, on the fact that negative real interest rates look likely to persist as Ben Bernanke and the Federal Reserve continue to print money. Believe it or not, some mainstream analysts are also touting gold’s … [Read more...]
Bernanke’s Bigger Bubble: QE-3 and the Coming Economic Crash
Why monetarist theory is flawed Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke really means it this time. He will rescue the economy. Ben S. Bernanke for the first time pledged that the Federal Reserve will buy bonds until the economy gets closer to his goals ... . The central bank yesterday announced its third round of large-scale asset purchases since 2008, with the difference that it didn't set any limit on the ultimate amount it would buy or the duration of the program. ... Bernanke is "going to fight and fight until he sees a real improvement in the economy," said a co-head of global economics research at [a major bank]." He believes quantitative easing can help the economy, so he'll just … [Read more...]
Are Businesses Quietly Preparing for a Financial Apocalypse?
By Dan Steinhart, Casey Research US corporations are sitting on more cash than at any point since World War 2. That's without including banks. I'm only talking about non-financial corporations – the ones that sell goods and services and make the economy go. Those businesses hold $1.4 trillion. In absolute terms, that's the most ever. In relative terms, it's the most since World War II. As investors, we can infer quite a bit from corporations' inability (or unwillingness) to deploy their cash. For one, it indicates that business have assumed a very defensive stance. Cash, of course, is a buffer against uncertainty - the uncertainty that business slows for any reason. … [Read more...]
What is the Difference Between Micro and Macro Economics?
Microeconomics vs. Macroeconomics- Economics can be described as the social science that examines how people use limited resources to produce, distribute, and consume goods and services to satisfy their unlimited needs and desires. Although microeconomics and macroeconomics are not the only disciplines and paths of specialization to exist within the broader context of economics, these two related, tightly bound, but nonetheless disparate fields are likely the most prominent. Microeconomics and macroeconomics do exactly what their names indicate. Microeconomics focuses on close-up snapshots of people, businesses, and non-profit organizations acting within economies while macroeconomics … [Read more...]
What is the Real Purpose of the Federal Reserve?
The Federal Reserve- Is the Federal Reserve really doing such a bad job… or does it actually do exactly what it's supposed to do, but the average American is in the dark about what that is? The Federal Reserve is merely a "Cartel" of Bankers whose primary purpose is to promote their own interests and not the interests of the American public. "They create money out of nothing, move it around a bit and then collect interest on it." If your or I tried to do that we'd be arrested. “The Fed’s sole purpose: keeping the banks afloat” – G. Edward Griffin In this explosive video, Casey Summit speaker G. Edward Griffin, author of The Creature from Jekyll Island, talks about the Fed's real role … [Read more...]
Civil Liberties Rest Upon Sound Money
Sound Money = Freedom Over the years I have written many times about the necessity of sound money to base our economy on and the results of wanton reckless money creation that will alway result in inflation and a worthless currency either sooner or later. I've told you about how inflation affects you, and how the Money Supply affects Inflation and Who Inflation Hurts the Most. I also spoken at length about the value of gold as the Timeless Inflation Hedge and how Gold is Still Money. Today, Wendy McElroy, author of The Art of Being Free shares a deep and fascinating research on all the main issues we face: the loss of security in the name of security, the state's role in strangling … [Read more...]
Be Prepared If – Inflation Gets Out of Hand
By Jeff Clark, Casey Research The cheek of it! They raised the price of my favorite ice cream. Actually, they didn't increase the price; they reduced the container size. I can now only get three servings for the same amount of money that used to give me four, so I'm buying ice cream more often. Raising prices is one thing. I understand raw-ingredient price rises will be passed on. But underhandedly reducing the amount they give you… that's another thing entirely. It just doesn't feel… honest. You've noticed, I'm sure, how much gasoline is going up. Food costs too are edging up. My kids' college expenses, up. Car prices, insurance premiums, household items – a list … [Read more...]
Will Greece Follow Iceland or Weimar Germany?
In Iceland the bankers were told to stuff it. In Weimar Germany they resorted to the printing press. Which model will modern day Greece follow?It seems that the words Weimar Germany and Hyperinflation are almost synonymous. The Weimar Republic (Das Weimarer Republik in German) is the name of the democratic government which was established in 1919 when Germany was defeated in WWI and Emperor Wilhelm II abdicated the throne. The problem came from the War repairations that were foisted upon Germany by the winners and the growing internal unrest which was allowing the Nazi's to gain a foothold. In an effort to pay their debts, promote full employment, and fight back against growing competitive … [Read more...]
